Weekend burglaries in Huntsville solved with help of task force

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama-- Huntsville police investigators over the holiday weekend solved two burglary cases in an ongoing effort to stem a spike in property crimes in the city.

The incidents resulted in five arrests and more charges are possible, said Harry Hobbs, the Huntsville Police Department spokesman.

Adrian Alexander Hyder (Huntsville Police)

Joseph Randall Williams (Huntsville Police)

Adrian Alexander Hyder, 23, of Huntsville is accused of being the getaway driver for three underage teens who broke into a home on Randolph Avenue Saturday morning. Though Hyder was charged solely with failing to have a driver's license on him, Hobbs said Monday that Hyder will likely be charged with conspiracy to commit burglary.

In the second incident, Joseph Randall Williams, 28, of Lacey's Spring was charged with third-degree burglary in a home break-in near the 12000 block of Sugar Mill Circle on Saturday. Like Hyder, Williams has a history of burglary arrests, Hobbs said.

Hobbs said investigators believe Hyder and Williams may have played a part in the 24 percent increase in burglaries that the city experienced from September through November, compared to September through November 2010.

"They feel it is very possible that (the suspects) could have played a part of the increase in burglaries here in Huntsville, however it is too early to say that for sure," Hobbs said Monday.

The police department earlier this month announced measures it is using to crack down on burglaries, including formation of a burglary task force. Hobbs said the task force worked together with the department's uniformed patrol officers to solve the cases over the weekend.

The crime-fighting measures also include Operation Identification, in which residents can purchase engravers through the Huntsville Community Watch Program with which to engrave their driver's license numbers on their valuables.

A burglary prevention manual has been made available for download at hsvpolice.com and utility workers are being trained to recognize suspicious activity while on the job.

Residents should also be aware of odd activity in their neighborhood.

A tip from a neighbor led investigators to the three teens who allegedly broke into the Randolph Avenue home on Saturday, Hobbs said.